ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 25, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kicking off our “Home for the Holidays” campaign, priceless pets are free to adopt starting on Black Friday through the weekend at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando’s two animal shelters, 2727 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL 32839 and 2800 County Home Road, Sanford, FL 32773. Both shelters are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

“Normally holiday shoppers are waiting in line to get into stores on Black Friday. At the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, our adorable dogs and cats are in line to get out of the animal shelter and into loving homes just in time for the holidays,” said Kerri Burns, Executive Director for Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. “We have set the goal to have our two animal shelters empty by December 31st with every homeless pet being placed in a permanent new home.”

On average, Pet Alliance invests about $300 in every adoptable pet to provide sterilization, micro chipping, vaccinations, flea and heartworm prevention, pet health insurance, and a veterinarian examination. All adoptable pets are available for viewing online at www.petallianceorlando.org. For information about adoptable pets at either location, call (407) 351-7722 during business hours.

Adopters will have to meet adoption requirements. Families adopting pets are asked to bring a collar and leash for dogs or a carrier for cats who are adopted or purchase one on site at both locations.

About Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando

As the go-to pet experts across Central Florida, the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando does good things for dogs and cats and the people who love them. Formerly the SPCA of Central Florida, the organization’s goal is to provide compassionate and knowledgeable services for pets and to be leaders in innovative animal care and veterinary medicine. More than 10,000 homeless dogs and cats will turn to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando for caring, compassion, and hope through its two animal shelters this year. Highly skilled veterinarians will help and heal an additional 45,000 animals through two veterinary clinics. Providing shelter for animals in crisis, disaster response efforts, and pet food pantry programs for dogs and cats in need, thousands of additional animals are helped each year. Visit www.PetAllianceOrlando.org for more information.

Bowie officials showed their commitment to both two-legged and four-legged residents by supporting two initiatives aimed at caring for stray and pet cats.

On Nov. 17, Bowie started construction of a “cat room” at City Hall for lost domesticated cats and also formally approved a city-wide “trap-neuter-release,” or TNR, program designed to manage the feral cat population.

There could be more than 3,000 free-roaming cats in Bowie, based on a formula developed by Phoenix-based Petsmart Charities.

The cat holding room is an expansion of a temporary animal shelter built into City Hall in 2011 and is the result of a partnership between the city and Bowie Citizens for Local Animal Welfare, or CLAW.

Tara Kelley-Baker, president of CLAW, and CLAW vice president Michael Semeniuk presented the city with a $20,000 check on Nov. 17 to help fund the approximate $114,000 expansion and will reimburse the city $84,000 when the project is complete, Kelley-Baker said.

Kelley-Baker said the temporary shelter will prevent pet owners and animal control staff from traveling to the Prince George’s County animal shelter in Upper Marlboro as often for lost pets.

Dogs and cats will be housed in the temporary shelter for up to five days before taken to the county shelter, according to Bowie animal control.

“Bowie should be able to take care of its own animals,” Kelley-Baker said. “I think we should set an example for other cities that are able to do this and reduce the strain on the county facility. This is the best thing for Bowie. We’re really excited about it.”

Also on Nov. 17, City Council members agreed to support the TNR program by updating city code and potentially financially investing in it.

Most of the TNR efforts in the city are being organized by local animal welfare group Connie and Teri 4 Animals, said Connie Carter, co-president of Connie and Teri 4 Animals.

The TNR approach seeks to reduce feral cat colonies by neutering them and releasing them back into the wild, as opposed to euthanizing them, Carter said.

“I was extremely pleased to see that the city is now recognizing [TNR] as the way to help the cat population,” she said. “We see from working with the animals from the [Prince George’s County] shelter that there is a large cat population because we see them coming in all the time.”

Lila Pavelec of Bowie said she has been conducting TNR for 10 years and has released around 900 animals.

“Feral cats were created by people who were irresponsible, did not get their animals fixed, and released them out the door because they like to go outside,” she said. “We created this problem and we need to fix it. The only way to end it is catch these cats one at a time.”

Steve Roberts, who oversees Bowie’s animal control department, said both the new TNR program and the additional cat room will be assets to the city.

“We support and believe that TNR is very important and it’s being conducted in Bowie as we speak so we want to support that,” he said. “Our main objective [with lost pets] is to return any pet we find straight to its owner, and with the five days [pets can be held in the temporary shelter], this will allow us more time.”

Animal rescue workers were astonished to find 68 cats living in a crowded and stinking van in Ontario, Oregon last Sunday. Five cats were found dead in the van.

According to the Argus Observer, the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about a bus piled high on the inside with cats, pet carriers, and other various items. A deputy and sergeant responded to the call and found a hoard full of felines in a Ford E350.

Cynthia Allen, the van’s owner, claimed there were 26 cats in the van. The 55-year-old cooperated with police and turned over the van. She will likely be charged with animal neglect.

Feral Cat Project volunteer Elizabeth Lyon responded to the situation and was horrified at what she saw.

“It’s bad enough that we are cleaning one cat box for every three or four or five cats. That’s bad, but that was really horrifying.”

It is unclear how Allen collected so many cats or why she was keeping them in a van, but she had left for Texas from Oregon and returned to Oregon recently, according to KGW.

Lyon couldn’t believe how many cats were in the van.

“It was just a swirling mass of cats around your feet,” said Lyon. “Every step I took down that center aisle, I had to wiggle my foot in so I didn’t step on somebody.”

It was clear many of the cats needed medical attention. Three veterinarians and over 20 volunteers spent two hours getting the scared cats out of the vehicle. Although the cats are friendly and tame, they were extremely stressed and some were injured or sick.

The felines were all being treated for worms and parasites. One cat’s eyeball was protruding from its socket, and the injured feline had to undergo surgery. Many of the cats are already missing an eye or both eyes due to upper respiratory infections.

A volunteer cares for the cats found injured and sick in a van.

The Ontario Feral Cat Project asked the surrounding community to borrow pet cages. The rescue group reassures people who donate their cages that the cages will be cleaned and disinfected before they are returned.

Perhaps surprisingly, most of the hoarded cats have been spayed or neutered. So far, all the living cats rescued have remained alive.

“We’ll be showing cats at the stores as soon as they are healthy enough to be shown,” said Lyon.

Cynthia Allen, the owner of the van, could not be reached for comment about the cats.

How to deal with urban coyotes

In the past few months, urban coyotes have been plaguing College Park and Winter Park residents, killing pet cats and scavenging pet food left outdoors. Some of these coyotes have been caught and euthanized. In hopes of preventing further incidents, College Park residents posted flyers around the area, warning residents of the coyotes, along with some advice on how to best co-exist with the mammals.

If you are approached by a coyote, make loud noises and wave your arms. That should frighten it away.

Keep a “coyote shaker” handy. To make one, just fill an empty bottle with some washers, pennies or pebbles. Shake as needed.

Do not let your pets roam outdoors freely. Cats should stay indoors and dogs should be kept on a leash.

Pay particular attention when walking your dog at dusk or dawn. This is when most coyote attacks occur.

Do not keep pet food outdoors.

If you experience a coyote attack or encounter contact FWC at 888-404-3922.

If you’d like some more in-depth information on urban coyotes, FWC is holding a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. There will be experts on hand to discuss all questions and concerns related to the coyotes in eastern Orange County.

For those who have taken to heart legendary TV host Bob Barker’s plea to “help control the pet population,” a report at the Oct. 23 meeting of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners will be especially encouraging.

The Fayette County Humane Society’s data from a recent six-month test of its TNR (trap-neuter-release) program also give credence to those who maintain that the private sector can perform certain tasks better than government — and the commissioners are among those who agree with that assessment.

“If you see four cats living around the dumpster behind McDonald’s, you don’t mind,” said Kimberly Davis, who addressed the board on behalf of the Humane Society. “But if there are 100 cats, it’s not good.”

That reasoning, in a nutshell, is the impetus behind the TNR program, which allows the existing feral cat population to live in its environment without leaving behind hundreds or even thousands of unwanted descendants.

The process allows Humane Society volunteers to take the cats using traps that are safe for the animals as well as the human operators. The felines are then neutered, vaccinated and the volunteers “return them to live their lives,” as Davis put it.

After four areas in the county were identified previously as susceptible to large feral cat populations, the commissioners had approved the six-month test at those sites in April.

Testing has been completed in the 4 Seasons and Bryson Lane neighborhoods north of Fayetteville, while it continues in the Kenwood and Brooks areas, Davis said. The Humane Society also included in its test results a large number of cats received through calls from various locations around the county.

Data presented by the organization showed that an estimated 621 cats were located in these areas, with 503 of them being fixed and another 51 identified as “surrender kittens.”

When kittens are found with the feral cats, Davis said that in some cases they are young enough that they can be domesticated and put out for adoption (the ones they found were also neutered and vaccinated).

Eight of the cats retrieved through the program were deemed by veterinarians to be so sickly or injured that the best course of action was to have them euthanized, Davis reported.

But these were not the statistics that really got the board’s attention. It was a comparison of the TNR test program to the last six months of activity in the county’s animal control department that made everyone take notice.

Davis reported that while Humane Society took in 554 cats during the period from April to September, with 49 adoptions and eight euthanized, the cost was $24,930. In contrast, during the same time period Fayette County Animal Control took in 323 cats (including feral cats and domesticated cats), adopting out 138 and euthanizing the remaining 185, at a cost of $35,060.

The numbers bolstered the argument that the TNR program worked with fewer animal lives lost and at a much lower cost — not to mention that the Humane Society’s cost consisted of zero tax dollars.

Davis noted that the areas targeted as test sites have already seen fewer animal control calls and the program has gotten considerable positive feedback from the public.

The Humane Society was seeking commissioner approval to continue the TNR operations as well as the development of ordinances that would promote a collaborative effort with Animal Control.

County animal control staff was extremely appreciate and complimentary of the Humane Society’s efforts and expressed to the board that their collaborative efforts need to continue.

The board wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment, making it clear that its consensus was to move forward with the program while possible ordinances are fast-tracked for future consideration, perhaps in December.

County manager Steve Rapson did some quick math and pointed out that, because of future litters that would be prevented, the TNR program is actually lowering the unwanted cat population by thousands through the efforts to treat the few hundred animals received during the test period.

Davis replied with a staggering number of her own: A single cat, because of her ability to produce three litters a year, has the potential for six million descendants within six years.

In other animal-related news, the board unanimously approved a new animal ordinance that county officials said would beef up enforcement and punishment in cruelty cases and help make it easier to identify owners of animals in question during such cases.

Commissioner David Barlow pointed out that some animal cruelty cases had been thrown out of court because the language in the ordinance was not strong enough. County Manager Steve Rapson agreed, saying that his staff worked with the solicitor and a state court judge to put the new ordinance together for exactly that reason.

Only rescue dogs and cats could soon be sold at pet stores in Montgomery County.

Council Vice President George L. Leventhal will propose Tuesday a bill to prohibit retail pet stores from selling dogs or cats that come from anywhere except rescue organizations and shelters. However, it does not prevent breeders from selling dogs and cats directly to individuals.

The bill seeks to protect consumers from purchasing dogs or cats that have been raised in so-called puppy mills or kitten mills. The animals could come with health and behavioral problems, and the legislation tries to impose better practices on the industry, Leventhal (D-At Large) of Takoma Park said.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals defines puppy mills as “large-scale commercial dog breeding operations where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs.”

Only one pet store in Montgomery County currently sells non-rescue puppies and kittens to his knowledge, Leventhal said.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, about 70 percent of people in the U.S. own a dog and about 46 percent own a cat, but only about 30 percent of pets in homes come from shelters or rescues.

While the federal Animal Welfare Act, passed in 1996, set minimum standards for animal care, the Humane Society of the United States is lobbying local and state governments for stronger laws.

“Federal law lacks teeth,” Leventhal said, adding that while the federal government inspects commercial breeding operations, inhumane conditions may continue.

“If local government acts in this manner, it will have an effect on the market, and animals won’t be bred anymore in [inhumane] conditions,” Leventhal said. “Buying live animals, cats and dogs, in a pet store is not a recommended practice.”

Maryland passed a law in 2012 that requires retail pet stores to display the name and address of the breeder or dealer who supplied the pet to the store.

Leventhal’s bill has been cosponsored by five members of the council and is tentatively scheduled for a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 2.

With the presentation of the Animal Hero Award, the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is establishing a new tradition, recognizing ordinary people among us who truly do extraordinary things to save the lives of animals. Joel Slaven was selected as the first recipient of the Animal Hero Award because of his dedication to rescuing homeless animals from shelters and giving them a second chance at life as animal actors.

Since 1997, Joel has adopted 350 dogs and cats from the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando’s two animal shelters to receive skills training and then become a part of the Pets Ahoy show at the SeaWorld park in Orlando. “Many of the dogs and cats adopted from our agency by Joel are difficult to place in traditional homes due to undesirable behaviors like excessive barking and jumping,” said Kerri Burns, executive director for the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. “It’s truly amazing to watch these animals blossom into wonderful animal actors with expert training and the full-time dedication by Joel and his team. The Pets Ahoy show gives these adopted pets a second career and a second chance at life.”

“I am very honored to receive the first Animal Hero Award from the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando,” said Joel Slaven. “When you save an animal’s life it changes you forever. In every Pets Ahoy show from coast to coast we tell audiences to save a life and adopt a pet from your local animal shelter.”

Slaven has rescued over 2,500 dogs and cats from animal shelters across America, including the San Diego Humane Society, San Antonio Animal Care Services, Peninsula SPCA in Newport News and the Humane Society of Delaware County. There are currently 160 dogs and 275 cats performing in Joel Slaven Professional Animal shows including Pets Ahoy at SeaWorld in Orlando and San Antonio, the Pets Rule show at SeaWorld San Diego, and Animals on Safari at the Columbus Zoo.

About Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando

As the go-to pet experts across Central Florida, the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando does good things for dogs and cats and the people who love them. Formerly the SPCA of Central Florida, our goal is to provide compassionate and knowledgeable services for pets and to be leaders in innovative animal care and veterinary medicine. More than 10,000 homeless dogs and cats will turn to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando for caring, compassion, and hope through our animal shelters this year. Our highly skilled veterinarians will help and heal an additional 45,000 animals in our veterinary clinics. Providing shelter for animals in crisis, disaster response efforts, and pet food pantry for dogs and cats in need, we will help thousands of additional animals this year.

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is holding its first ever Adopt-a-thon, free dog and cat adoptions, at Reed Nissan, 3776 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808, from noon to 4 p.m. this Saturday, October 18, 2014. The Adopt-a-thon continues the Reed Nissan Pet Rescue Project by announcing the goal to adopt 2,000 homeless pets into new homes by the end of the year. Pet Alliance’s full service veterinary department has checked “under the hood” on all dogs and cats for the Adopt-a-thon, making sure each pet is spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and equipped with a Pet Theft Detection Device, also known as a microchip.

“There is nothing more heartwarming than to see a homeless dog or cat experience his or her ride home from the animal shelter,” says Sean Hawkins, Director of Marketing for the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. “We call the ride home a #Freedomride and we could not think of a better way to kick-off the year-end Adopt-a-thon than by partnering with Reed Nissan.”

“We have set a goal of adopting 2,000 homeless pets into new homes by the end of the year,” adds Aaron Hill, General Manager for Reed Nissan. “Our dealership has stepped up to the plate to help homeless pets in the community and now we are asking the public to help by adopting a pet. Saving one dog or cat will not change the world, but surely for that one dog or cat, the world will change forever.”

The Adopt-a-thon keeps going all weekend. In addition to free pet adoptions at Reed Nissan on Saturday, all fees to adopt a pet will be waived at both Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando animal shelters all weekend. The Orlando location is 2727 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL 32839 and the Sanford location is 2800 County Home Road, Sanford, FL 32773. Both shelters are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. To view all pets available for adoption online, visit www.PetAllianceOrlando.org. Please bring a collar and leash for dogs or a carrier for cats who are adopted or purchase one on site at all locations.

About Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando

As the go-to pet experts across Central Florida, the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando does good things for dogs and cats and the people who love them. Formerly the SPCA of Central Florida, the organization’s goal is to provide compassionate and knowledgeable services for pets and to be leaders in innovative animal care and veterinary medicine. More than 10,000 homeless dogs and cats will turn to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando for caring, compassion, and hope through its two animal shelters this year. Highly skilled veterinarians will help and heal an additional 45,000 animals through two veterinary clinics. Providing shelter for animals in crisis, disaster response efforts, and pet food pantry programs for dogs and cats in need, thousands of additional animals are helped each year. Visit www.PetAllianceOrlando.org for more information.

Some Lakeland residents are concerned about coyotes after a lot of pet cats have gone missing.

According to our partners at the Ledger, residents of several south Lakeland communities say several pet cats have disappeared.

At least one person told the Ledger she has actually seen coyotes.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has the numbers to support those concerns. The agency said this time last year, it received 17 calls about coyotes in Polk County. So far this year, the agency has received 28 calls.

The health department suggests a $5 donation per animal to help cover the cost of the rabies clinics, but no one will be turned away.

Dogs should be leashed and cats and pet ferrets should be in a cage.

Any time a person or pet comes in physical contact with a bat or wild animal, especially a sick or suspicious-acting animal, the incident should be immediately reported to the County Health Department.

To report a possible exposure, or for more information about rabies, call the Health Department weekdays at 349-3564 or 1-800-596-3200, ext. 3564.

In an emergency during evenings, weekends, or holidays, call the health department’s answering service at 341-0086.